H1N1: What Employees Need to Know

photo by Evah

There’s seemingly little people can do to escape news and notices about H1N1, also known as swine flu. Between stories on the evening news, headlines in newspapers, advisories from local school districts, and experiences of coworkers and family members who have fallen ill, H1N1 remains an ongoing concern for many.

So, what can employees do to protect themselves and their families this flu season? How can they lessen their risks of contracting the H1N1 and the seasonal flu?

“The idea of catching H1N1 is alarming to many, but the same standard practices that we recommend to prevent catching a cold or the regular flu apply to swine flu as well,” says Gingy Grider, CCA director, Clinical Services.

Those tips include frequent hand washing and covering your coughs and sneezes. But prevention also means staying away from work when employees – or their family members – have fallen ill.

“We recommend that employees who know or suspect they’re ill stay home until they’ve recovered, and they should seek medical treatment from their health care provider,” says Kenya Adams, practice manager, Health Services. “These recommendations and other related resources are available on the Health Services swine flu center on MyCCA.”

The Health Services H1N1 Resource Center is available on MyCCA on the Disease Prevention page. The site feature information cards, health plan information, posters, advisories, memos and more. An e-mail has been set up for employees to voice their HR questions and concerns at H1N1questions@correctionscorp.com.

CCA’s Health Services department continues to monitor the H1N1 situation and will work with CCA’s Human Resources department to provide updates to employees on an ongoing basis and as necessary.

by Danielle Edwards